While Everything Changed
by mintee
Summary: Future fic - Seth, Summer, Ryan, and Marissa are in their sophomore year of college. The friends spend break together and Seth and Summer start to forget why they ever broke up in the first place. SS and a bit of MR. Three parts. Finished.
1. Default Chapter

This is a future fic - sophomore year in college. They're all still in California - Seth, Marissa and Summer at UC Davis, Ryan interning at a Cohen family corporation. The first chapter is set at the Cohen's lodge in Big Bear over winter break. S/S and a dab of M/R. There will probably be about 3 parts. Enjoy and leave feedback to let me know what you think.  
  
Disclaimer: I really wish I owned The OC, especially Seth Cohen, but such is life. They are not mine, they're FOX's. Otherwise I'd totally get you all connections.  
  
Part One - Snacks, Sleep, and Sass  
  
---  
  
Summer tiptoed down the long hallway of the cabin, crossing her arms protectively over her chest as she made her way to the refrigerator and yanked open the right side. She growled to herself as she reasoned. It was one thirty am, meaning anything she ate would stick to her bones and be fat in the morning. How sexy.  
  
"Hungry?"  
  
Summer jolted at the break of silence, whirling around to see Seth sprawled out in a barca lounger in the living room, the light from the fire flickering and throwing shadows around the room, illuminating his face.  
  
"Cohen? Jesus Christ!"  
  
He smirked at her, "Sorry. Want some?"  
  
She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge before letting the door shut lightly and shuffling over to stand in front of him. He offered her a piece of bread that appeared to be smeared with peanut butter and topped with banana slices. How kindergarten.  
  
"No, thanks. Just thirsty."  
  
He shrugged. "It's cool, you're missing out on the best midnight snack ever invented, but you just go ahead and drink your water. Be boring."  
  
She rolled her eyes at him and waved her hand, signaling that he move over.   
  
"Hey Summer, this is a chair. It's meant for one person. That one person? He's me. Go sit on the couch."  
  
She pouted and shoved his shoulder until he moved over before plopping down between his side and the arm of the lounge chair.  
  
"I'm cold and this place is weirding me out. It's all quiet and old."  
  
Seth hid a smile and pretended to ignore the fact that she was snuggling against his side as she drank her water.  
  
"You know, this old guy died here before my Dad bought it... his wife couldn't stay here alone anymore because his spirit used to, like, torture her. But hey, it was cheap, and I like to snowboard, so we bought it."  
  
Summer's eyes widened, "Shut up."  
  
"I'm DEAD serious, Summer."  
  
"Seeethhh..." she whined, looping her arm through his and huddling her face into his shirt sleeve. "You know you're going to have to sleep with me now."  
  
Seth grinned, bumping her shoulder playfully. "Is that a sexual command, Summer Roberts?"  
  
"No, how about it's an I'm a wuss and I can't sleep and I need you to talk me to sleep command." She pulled him off the chair and began to drag him down the hall towards her room. "Summer, are you insinuating that I'm boring?"  
  
She ignored his statement completely. "Besides, you know that Marissa and Ryan are already shacked up in the other room already. I heard her leave like twenty minutes ago."  
  
Seth yawned loudly and nodded to himself as she yanked his arm, speeding to the bed, ignoring the eerie looking black and white pictures that hung on the wall. Seth supposed he could have told her they were his great Aunt and Uncle and their family, who were all still alive and in tact, but that was no fun. She let go of his hand and climbed to the other side of the bed as he pulled down the sheets and fell onto the nearest side. He was used to their sleeping arrangements. Anytime the four of them went anywhere, Marissa and Ryan assured them they would all hang out and it would be casual, just friends. Only Summer and Seth were the only two people who were 'just friends.' And come on, let's face it, they were the only two people who actually believed that they were 'just friends.'  
  
Closing his eyes, Seth was half asleep as he felt something pinch his arm. "Ow?"  
  
He opened his eyes to see her deep brown eyes about two inches away from him. Her brow was furrowed in thought and he sighed. She wanted to talk. She did this every time they watched a scary movie, or anyone mentioned ghosts. Summer Roberts. Biggest wuss in all of Newport.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
She sighed and shook her head, so he took it as a signal that he could fall back asleep.  
  
"Do you ever think about when we dated?"  
  
Seth opened his eyes tiredly and groaned. "Summer. Sleep."  
  
She brought a hand out from under the sheets and flicked his nose.   
  
"Whaat?"  
  
"I said, do you ever think about when we dated?"  
  
He growled and rubbed his palms over his eyes several times before looking at her. "No."  
  
She snorted, rolling over so that her back faced him. "Fine. Be an asshole."  
  
He rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a minute, debating on whether to sleep and pay for it in the morning, or talk and be tired in the morning. Who was he kidding? This was Summer. The statement 'payback is a bitch' did not even compare to her standards of sucking up.  
  
Scooting closer to her, her tickled the small of her back.  
  
"Stop."  
  
"Noope." He moved his fingers up to the back of her neck and pulled a strand of her hair. She huffed and rolled over.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Ask me again."  
  
She squinted at him sarcastically and buried her head farther into the pillow. "No. You're tired."  
  
He grinned. So this was how it was going to be. Inching his arm slowly, he reached the point where her knee bent and pinched behind it. She hated when he touched the backs of her knees. It was her biggest pet peeve.  
  
"SETH!"  
  
"Ask me again."   
  
"You are such a little brat."  
  
"Me? I'm comforting you, here, oh prissy one."  
  
"Comforting? More like annoying."  
  
"Okay, fine..." he grabbed a pillow and pretended to make his way toward the living room. He hadn't even reached the door before she whined loudly.  
  
"I hate you. Come back, please."  
  
He smiled sweetly and dove onto the bed, sinking into the mattress and looking her square in the eye. "You. Are so. Romantic."  
  
She laughed at him and sighed before scooting closer to him and resting her head on his chest.   
  
"Hey Summer?" He asked quietly, playing with her dark, silky hair.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Everyday."  
  
She smiled into his t-shirt. "Really?"  
  
His silence let her know the answer was yes and she drifted off to sleep comfortably.  
  
---  
  
He watched her sleep, her form limp against his, her left arm looped carelessly over his hip, her other tangled in his curls. A lock of hair fell onto her face and her nose twitched. He smiled and brushed it away, not wanting her to stir.  
  
"You are such a girl, Cohen."  
  
"Gee, thanks. I love you too."   
  
She yawned loudly and stretched, one of her hands hitting hit forehead as she groaned. He rubbed the spot but decided to skip pretending that it had hurt. She wasn't even awake enough for it to be fun.  
  
"Wow. Hello Summer's breath. That's awesome, really."  
  
She glared at him before throwing the sheets on her side of the bed over him and trudging into the bathroom. He chuckled as he heard the sounds of her brushing her teeth.  
  
He had just started to drift back to sleep when he felt the mattress dip beside him. "Happy?"  
  
"Nah. It's not like I wanted to kiss you or anything."   
  
He smirked and rolled off the bed, bouncing to the kitchen to see what Ryan was making for breakfast.  
  
"Ugh. Why does he have to be so... Seth?" She slammed her head into his pillow and inhaled deeply. God, even smelling him made her all woozy. What was wrong with her lately? It had been two years since they had split up, it was her senior year in high school and they had decided to go their separate ways before college, knowing long distance relationships were too hard and deciding it would be easier to part on good terms while they were still in love. Too bad Seth had changed his mind at the last minute and had transferred to UC Davis to be with her and Marissa, anyhow. He was all set to go to Boston, but had changed his mind suddenly, reasoning that he didn't want to be so far away from his parents and Ryan, who had started a really successful internship with their relative who ran an architectural based company - surprise, surprise- in Southern California.  
  
"Talking to yourself again?"  
  
"Oh shut up, Coop. Where were you last night, missy?" Marissa raised her eyebrows and stuck her tongue out at Summer quickly before she bent down and rummaged through her suitcase.   
  
"What are you wearing to go skiing today?"  
  
Summer shrugged, climbing out of bed and sliding into her Oscar the Grouch slippers. So fitting for her personality in the morning.   
  
"I don't know. Just layer and put on sun block. Remember last year?"  
  
Marissa scrunched up her nose and laughed, "Yeah, ugh we had the worst wind burn."  
  
Summer hit her side playfully as she traipsed by, "Yeah but we were still hot."  
  
Marissa conceded as she watched her head to the kitchen. "Oh, always."  
  
---  
  
"Summer, your plate's by the stove."  
  
She turned from the refrigerator and made her way toward the marble counter, kissing Ryan on the cheek loudly as she walked by him. "I adore you."  
  
Ryan and Seth exchanged glances. Seth shrugged, "She enjoys food."  
  
Summer threw a look at him as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "Are you saying I'm fat?"  
  
Seth nodded sardonically. "Yes, you are totally obese. Like, repulsive. God I can't even look at you."  
  
His eyes slowly climbed up her body, meeting her expression, which returned his sarcasm and then some.  
  
"Did you two have sex last night?"  
  
Summer choked on her scrambled eggs and Seth jumped at Ryan's outburst. "Uhh... say that again, my brother?"  
  
Ryan shrugged, tossing a piece of bacon into his mouth. "I don't know, I just sense that tension. It's cool if you did, I mean that'd be awesome, you know, you two back together again."  
  
Seth stole a glance at Summer and she looked at him questioningly. They both broke out of their daze at the same time. "No!" "Definitely not." "Why would you think that?" "That's crazy."  
  
Ryan nodded mockingly at them, staring at a random cartoon on the tv across the room as he spoke. "Yeah, you guys are right. What was I thinking?"  
  
Seth nodded, agreeing with him, and Summer zoned out on the television while she ate her toast and thought. Why weren't they together again? I mean they had agreed to leave some distance for college, it was a whole new playing field and they didn't want to feel confined to each other - there were tons of fish in the sea, as everyone told them... but it was really in vain, the more she thought about it. As it was, they spent nearly every Friday night together ordering in Chinese and renting movies with Marissa and Ryan. The only things that had changed were no more sex, and no more making out.   
  
Wait, weren't those, like, her two favorite parts?  
  
---  
  
"Hey, Marissa, hurry up!"  
  
Summer and Seth watched, amused, as Ryan tapped his foot at the front door, decked out in a black coat and gray snow pants, a hat and gloves in his hand. He looked at the two of them as they sat on the couch and shook his head, obviously annoyed with the situation.  
  
"You know, it's below zero outside, NO ONE is going to see us, and she's going to be wearing a ski mask… why does she need to have make up on?"  
  
Seth shrugged, "I don't know. It's like, with Summer, I often ask myself, why DOESN'T she put make up on?"  
  
Summer slapped him as she continued to eat the popcorn that sat between them. "Cohen, you're just not someone I need to impress. Now if you were, say, Josh Hartnett, I would totally put make up on for you."  
  
"Well, Summer, that's just fine, cause you know, I've seen you with make up on many a time… and, I mean, it's not that great. So it's okay."  
  
She stuck her tongue out at him mischievously and he threw a piece of popcorn at it.  
  
Marissa idled out from the hallway, smoothing her hair down with her hands and tugging her boots on. "You ready, Ryan?"  
  
He glared at no one, specifically, and took a deep breath, "Oh, you know, I'm not, really… I think I'm just gonna let you wait here for a half an hour and then we can go."  
  
She rolled her eyes and made her way out of the front door, waving to Summer and Seth, "Bye guys."  
  
"Bye, Coop. Have fun."  
  
Ryan raised his eyebrows at Seth before shutting the door behind him, "You guys should get started now - I don't wanna walk into the house and hear any strange noises…"  
  
Seth pointed at him and nodded. "Just go, man. Just go."  
  
"They're crazy."  
  
"Totally."  
  
"Wanna go make out?"  
  
Summer froze and looked at him, dropping the piece of popcorn that she had been holding. "Seriously?"  
  
"Well… I mean… do you?"  
  
Her face turned serious and she shut the tv off with the remote before looking at him. "Race you!"  
  
He grinned and caught up with her as she leaped off of the couch and sped down the hallway. He grabbed a hold of her waist and spun her around, stepping into the room and diving onto the bed.  
  
"Oh, yes. Always the winner. Admit it, my speed and stealth are so sexy to you. Come on, I'll let you Summer…"  
  
She rolled her eyes and closed the door, walking over to the bed and crawling over him. "Let me what?"  
  
"Let you ravish me."  
  
She snorted loudly and shook her head, smiling at the playfulness in his eyes before leaning down to touch her nose to his.  
  
"You're the biggest dork."  
  
"But you still wanna do me."  
  
She grinned and touched her lips to his, her eyes shut automatically as she felt what she'd been dreaming about for the last two years. Sure, they'd kissed once or twice since them, mostly out of habit or complete drunkenness, but it was never serious, it never felt like there was any possibility until now. His hands rose and gripped both sides of her waist, his fingers peeking beneath her t-shirt, his tongue gliding along her bottom lip.  
  
She groaned and grabbed the sides of his face suddenly, crushed his lips closer to hers. She had been ignoring the fact that she missed him and it had almost been working, until now, when she felt his body beneath hers, and his heart pounding against hers. Her hands slid into his hair and she felt like she was floating, her pulse uneven and her hands shaky.   
  
"Holy shit, Summer."  
  
She smiled against his kiss and leaned back, sliding her shirt over her head and tossing it behind her. She tugged his shoulders until he sat up with her and she pulled his off next, hugging his bare chest to hers. She had forgotten how completely perfect this felt. How they molded together like they were designed for one another.  
  
"Seth…"  
  
He pulled back to look at her, seriously. "I know."  
  
Her eyes drifted to his lips, swollen and pink, and he smiled, leaning in to kiss her again. This time it was soft, different. He was kissing her like he used to when they were together. Right before her made love to her. He rolled over, keeping her beneath him and she sighed deeply, shaking under his touch.  
  
Her world was spinning out of control, and yet she felt completely and utterly safe, below him, with his arms encircling her and his lips dancing with hers.   
  
---  
  
Feedback is always wonderful. I'll probably have part two up by Sunday or early this coming week. 


	2. Going Back Isn't Always the Same

·Disclaimer: I really wish I owned The OC, especially Seth Cohen, but such is life. They are not mine, they're FOX's. Otherwise I'd totally get you all connections.  
  
·Thanks so much to all the wonderful people who reviewed the first part. To the few who wished to see more M/R interaction, I definitely aimed for that. I normally don't write much Marissa/Ryan at all, but it was fun to try.  
  
·Sutter Creek is honestly just a place I saw on a California map and then googled. I do not live anywhere near California and I was trying to sound educated. [Laughs] I used it more for location than anything - never been there, and I'm guess it's actually a rather boring tourist attraction, but do with it as you will. It's actually a historical location that I guess was big during the gold rush. Hence the 'gold-digger' reference. But yeah, I'm rambling. Read on.  
  
Going Back Isn't Always The Same  
  
Marissa and Ryan tumbled through the front door together at around 7 pm, Marissa's giggle traveling through the large cabin, bouncing off of the high wooden ceilings and returning to Ryan's ears, causing him to almost break the straight face he'd been trying hard to keep the past twenty minutes. He had to hold her firmly around the waist so that she wouldn't fall over, not to mention the fact that she was pretty much frozen through and claimed to not be able to feel her legs.   
  
"Oh… my god… SETH! Oh, Ryan, we have to tell him…"   
  
Ryan scowled and tossed her onto the couch, letting her ball up into a fetal position as she continued laughing. "I can't feel my cheeks!"  
  
He shook his head and smiled, his back to her as he opened the cupboard to find coffee, hot chocolate mix, tea, anything that would enable him to feel his lips again.  
  
"Hey, Marissa. It really wasn't that funny."  
  
She snorted loudly and he rolled his eyes. She would never let this go. Sighing, he set two mugs filled with water in the microwave and pulled off his coat, hat, and gloves and kicked off his snow filled boots. He shivered as he meandered down the hallway. The door to Summer and Marissa's room was closed so he knocked quietly, unsure if Summer was sleeping.   
  
"Summer?"  
  
There was no answer, and he could hear Marissa's laugh, loud and steady as ever radiating from the living room, so he cracked the door open a bit. He saw her sleeping figure and stepped inside the room. "Summer? Hey, you want some hot chocolate? We were gonna order some-"  
  
"RYAN?!"  
  
Ryan turned on his heels shielding his eyes. "Oh, wow. Naked. Seth. Hi. Leaving."  
  
Summer groaned and rolled over, her hand smacking Seth's cheek. He ignored it and placed her arm beside her on the bed, jumping out of the bed and pulling on his boxers and jeans. "Summer, wake up."  
  
"Seeeethhh."  
  
He grinned at the shiny line of drool that was evident on her chin and decided he had all the time in the world to explain this to Ryan. And it's not like it was the first time Ryan or Marissa had walked in on them. And trust me, they had walked in on them doing more than just sleeping without their clothes on.  
  
He laid down beside her and she curled up against him immediately. He laughed and blew lightly in her ear.  
  
"No. Sleep."  
  
"Uh uh. It's dinner time, come on. Ryan and Marissa are home, and from the sound of it, Marissa is either drunk off her ass, or something hilarious happened."  
  
She buried her face into his neck and whimpered. "It's cooold."  
  
He growled in her ear and pulled her up, her arms still locked around her. "Come on, I'll help you get dressed."  
  
She glared tiredly at him as he handed her the t-shirt she had discarded earlier and she tugged it on quickly, bending over to grab her sweatpants. He grabbed her before she could put her slippers on and lifted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. She dropped her head onto his shoulder.  
  
"Grouch."  
  
"So."  
  
He laughed and walked to the kitchen, dropping her just before they reached the living room. Marissa looked at Summer and spit out a "Hey," before returning to her fit of giggles. Seth questioned Ryan with a look and he cast his eyes downward before looking at her. "Just tell them."  
  
Seth plopped on the couch while Summer went over to Marissa and sat with her on the chair.  
  
"We were… getting on the lift… and Ryan was scared, so I told him to just close his eyes and sit down when he felt the chair lift under him…"  
  
She broke into laughter again and Ryan rolled his eyes, handing her a mug of hot chocolate before sitting next to Seth. "So I sat down, and I heard something behind me, and turned around… and I had sat on…"  
  
"A WOMAN!" Marissa squawked, slapping her hand on her knee.  
  
Seth smirked at Ryan. "Smooth."  
  
Ryan punched his arm. "Dude, she was like… 70 years old. It was so awkward. I had to sit on top of her the entire ride up the mountain."  
  
Summer laughed lightly and grabbed Marissa's hot chocolate. She was laughing so hard it was spilling over the edge every time she shook. "Coop, get a grip."  
  
Ryan nodded, "Seriously. She's been laughing for like, an hour."  
  
They all chuckled before falling into a rather uncomfortable silence. Summer caught Seth's amused gaze and she looked at Ryan who raised his eyebrows.  
  
"So… you guys, uh. Yeah."  
  
Marissa's laughter died down and she looked at Summer. "You guys what?"  
  
Seth watched her with amused anticipation. "Yeah, Summer. We what?"  
  
Summer glared at him before looking back at Marissa. "Nothing. We nothing."  
  
Ryan nodded sarcastically, "Yeah, Marissa and I often do nothing together while we're naked and in bed."  
  
Summer gasped and Marissa squealed. "OHMYGOD! Summer?!"  
  
Seth laughed and shook his head, scratching his stomach as he got up to make himself some coffee.  
  
"Oh, hell no, Cohen. Don't act all smug." Summer looked at Marissa pointedly. "It was his idea."  
  
Marissa squinted at her, "Summer."  
  
Summer sighed. "Fine. Whatever. We had sex. It's not like we haven't slept together before."  
  
Marissa and Ryan shared a knowing look and hid their smiles. "Right. No big deal."  
  
Summer nodded in agreement and flicked on the television, ignoring the stares from three sets of eyes that were practically burning holes in her back.  
  
---  
  
"Seth, would you turn the music down? Some of us are trying to sleep."  
  
He grinned and reached over to the passengers seat to pat her cheek. "And some of us, Summer, are trying to stay awake so they can get your ass home safely."  
  
Summer yanked his hand off of her cheek and pulled the blanket that was wrapped around her legs up to her chin. "Don't refer to my ass in that tone."  
  
He elbowed her playfully, taking a sip of water from the bottle in the center console. "I love your ass, Summer."  
  
"Would you guys shut UP?"  
  
Marissa frowned at him, "Hey, don't be mean. It's cute."  
  
Ryan nodded mockingly, "Oh yeah, adorable."  
  
They silenced in the back seat, Marissa's head falling onto Ryan's shoulder as they drifted back to sleep. Seth's fingers tapped the steering wheel in time to the music and he looked behind him, checking that the road was clear to switch lanes. They still had a good two hours ahead of them.   
  
Summer's eyelids were heavy but she couldn't seem to fall asleep, the idea of what had happened between them over the weekend was clouding up her thoughts and she couldn't seem to look away from him, for fear she would wake up and the entire weekend would be a dream. Not to mention, he was incredibly sexy when he was driving.   
  
He felt her eyes on him and smiled, inching his right hand over and squeezing her leg through the chenille throw blanket.   
  
"Go to sleep."  
  
"I'm trying."  
  
He set the cruise control and looked over at her, cocking an eyebrow. "Am I that distracting?"  
  
She rolled her eyes and turned to face the window, smiling to herself. Yeah, he was.  
  
---  
  
"Hey, Sum! How did your psych exam go?"  
  
Summer groaned and grabbed another chip from the bag that sat between her legs as she sat indian style on her bed, watching MTV. "It was impossible."  
  
Marissa dropped her books off onto their desk and stopped at the refrigerator to grab a can of soda before stretching out on her own bed.   
  
"So I talked to Ryan, we're all set for this weekend if you and Seth can still come." She was referring to their trip to Sutter Creek - it had been three weeks since their vacation, and now that mid-term exams were - thank God - finally over, they were planning to celebrate. Sutter Creek was amazing, relaxing, and had the biggest beer fests around. It was an honest to God tourist joint, but they had made it their own tradition to rent rooms at this old bed and breakfast the week after midterms, and it stuck.   
  
"I, uhm. I don't know about Seth, but I'll be there."  
  
Marissa looked up from her soda and raised her eyebrows at Summer. "Did you guys get into a fight?"  
  
Summer shrugged, looking down at her perfectly manicured nails. "I don't know."  
  
She saw the look on Summers face and stuck her bottom lip out in pity. Stepping off the bed, she sat beside her best friend and hugged her tightly. "Maybe it's just weird because of what happened at Big Bear. It's probably just a huge misunderstanding."  
  
Summer forced a small smile and nodded. "Yeah. It's just so weird, I mean… it's Cohen… and he hasn't called for like, two weeks. He didn't even wait for me outside of our art lecture today."  
  
"Well, it's a huge class, maybe he just couldn't find you."  
  
Marissa got up to take a shower and Summer fell backwards into her mound of pillows. Yeah, only he finds me every other Wednesday of every other week. She growled under her breath before resorting back to The Real World, Philadelphia.  
  
---  
  
Seth was standing in line at Starbucks for his morning coffee when he felt her. Ever since they were seventeen, younger even, he had this weird ability to know exactly when she entered the room, and exactly when she left. It was like his heartbeat sped up, and everything brightened when she walked past him, but when she was gone, it was bleak, and there was this weird twinge in his chest. Now, there was a mixture of the two as she walked up behind him.  
  
"Seth?"  
  
He grabbed his coffee and thanked the cashier before turning to face her. "Hey, Summer."  
  
They walked over to a table near the front windows where they usually sat on Thursday mornings and sat down. She stared into his eyes expectantly as he took the lid off of his coffee, stirring it with a tiny red mixer.   
  
"So, I haven't heard from you in like… weeks?"   
  
"Ah, exams. You know how it goes."  
  
She frowned, wringing her hands below the table out of nervous habit. "No, I don't… because usually, we study together, and we actually call each other to see how we're doing. But I haven't talked to you since exams started, so no. I don't know how it goes."  
  
Seth let out a whoosh of air that had been building up inside of his chest and darted his eyes around before resting guiltily on her glance. "I know." He let it go at that, and an uncomfortable silence filled the air.  
  
She nodded, pursing her lips. "Fine. You know what? I'm gonna go. I'll be late for calc. Let Marissa know about this weekend. She asked me if you were going."   
  
He cursed himself as she stalked away, ignoring a tall, totally daft jock who had held the door for her and was grinning so hard Seth was sure his face would rupture.   
  
What was he doing? Ever since they had gotten back home, he had been avoiding her like the plague. He showed up that Friday night, and the three of them went to a movie and walked around campus for a while, but even then he was distant. He could tell she was reeling from it all, probably confused as hell and hurt from his ignorance, but his own confusion overweighed his guilt, and he couldn't seem to from proper sentences lately, let alone explain to his ex-girlfriend and the past obsession in his life why ever since they had made love he couldn't seem to connect words to his thoughts.   
  
Seth. Speechless?  
  
Which is why he had decided to stay back while they went to Sutter Creek this weekend. He was going to tell Marissa he had to put some more work into his lit paper and he needed the quiet time for research. It was a totally lame and unfitting excuse, because anyone who knew Seth knew that beer and gold - namely, Sutter Creek - were more towards the top of his list, and lit papers were somewhere in the lower half, but he knew that whatever it was he was feeling needed some time to sort itself out, at least make itself clear so that Seth could find a way to fix it.  
  
He broke out of his daze and grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and tossing his empty coffee cup into the trashcan before jogging up the road and back to campus. Unfortunately, he too was going to be late for class.   
  
---  
  
Seth knocked on the door to the girls' room and waited patiently. He could hear footsteps and the sound of either the radio or television and looked up as he heard the lock on the door turn. Marissa stood before him, smiling widely and slightly out of breath.  
  
"Hey, Seth!"  
  
He smiled back at her and stepped into the room as she shut the door behind him. Summer was painting her nails on her bed and kept her back turned to him as she pretended to be interested in the music video that was playing.  
  
"Hey, well I just came to let you know I don't think I'm gonna be able to make it this weekend. Kline assigned this massive lit paper and you know me and procrastination. We're like this." He held his hand up and crossed two of his fingers.  
  
Marissa laughed. "Well that's totally understandable. I'll call Ryan tonight and let him know. I think he was gonna bring the kayak down with him, so…"  
  
Seth nodded, sneaking a glance at Summer out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, tell him not to worry about it. We'll go some other weekend."  
  
Marissa nodded and hugged him shortly, whispering in his ear, "Talk to her."  
  
He patted her back and she grabbed her jean jacket, reaching for the doorknob. "Well, I have to run out and go… get something. I'll be back later. Bye Sum."  
  
Summer lifted the hand she wasn't using to paint her nails and waved shortly.  
  
"Anti-social this evening?"  
  
Summer smirked with sarcasm. "Anti-social this month, Cohen?"  
  
He nodded in defeat, taking his hands out of his pockets and walking to stand in front of her. He turned the television off and took the nail polish bottle from her hand, replacing the top and sitting it on her nightstand. He sat softly in front of her and she lowered her eyes.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I know we had plans for this weekend, but Marissa and Ryan will be there. And hey, it's the beer fest, you'll be drunk… you can always just pretend I'm there. I'm sure you'll believe yourself after a couple drinks, right?"  
  
She rolled her eyes at his humor and shook her head. "Why are you being like this?"  
  
He took one of her hands and traced over it lightly with his pointer finger. "…I don't know. I just. I don't want to be hurt, or hurt you… I don't want it to be weird."  
  
"Yeah, well it's too late for that, isn't it?"  
  
The side of his mouth twitched in a sad smile as he nodded. "I guess it is, isn't it?"  
  
She nodded, growing confidence. "Yeah it is. And you know what, you really suck for doing this. I thought we had taken a step forward, but here you go, taking us two steps back again. You always do this! You shell up like a damn…"  
  
"Turtle?"  
  
"Shut up. You never tell me when things aren't right. It's like I'm supposed to just know that you actually have a reason for not talking to me."  
  
He leaned forward, grabbing her other hand. "I'm sorry. And I don't… I have absolutely no reason for not talking to you, I just. I didn't know how to say… what I wanted to say… you know?"  
  
She looked in his eyes now and nodded solemnly. "Yeah."  
  
"Hey."  
  
She sighed, giving into his boyish grin. "I'm still mad at you."  
  
He laughed, tickling her hips, which were in plain view between her capri pajama bottoms and her powder blue tank top. Pleased with her smile, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and cocked his head, intent on staring at her.  
  
"Go home, I need to study."  
  
He laughed at her forwardness. "What do you have tomorrow?"  
  
"Killer Communications exam. I'm dead."  
  
He bent over and kissed her hair before starting towards the door. "Good luck."  
  
"Yeah, thanks, you too."  
  
"Have fun at Sutter."  
  
"Will do."  
  
The door clicked behind him and Summer sighed, unsure of what she was supposed to be feeling. There was a lot of that going around lately. She could be happy - Seth had finally made an effort to communicate with her, however annoying it had been… or she could be sad - he wasn't joining them for the best weekend all year that the four of them never missed… or she could be excited that she had only one exam left and was leaving for the sun, fun, and guys of Sutter Creek tomorrow evening.  
  
The latter should be the most obvious choice, but Summer knew she would spend the entire weekend watching Ryan and Marissa make out, or making excuses to leave so that they could have some time alone. And let's face it, wandering around a foreign town full of drunk people and gold-digging (literally!) tourists was not her idea of a relaxing weekend. 


	3. Since You've Been Gone

·Disclaimer: I really wish I owned The OC, especially Seth Cohen, but such is life. They are not mine, they're FOX's. Otherwise I'd totally get you all connections.  
  
·Thanks so much to each and every one of you who reviewed - CharmingChix, I do get kind of tired of Summer rejecting Seth because he's unpopular. I figured since they have already been together before and are of college age, she would handle her feelings in a more mature way. Madelyn-L, I laughed while I was making up the parts about Sutter Creek! I got the feeling that it was a tourist attraction when I was researching it, but at the same time I read about beer fests and tons of bed and breakfasts, so I figured a group of college kids wouldn't so much mind it ;)   
  
·As I said in the disclaimer of the first part, this fic is a short piece. This is the third and final part of While Everything Changed. If you appreciated it or even enjoyed it, I do have another story up which I'm working on, and I'm sure there will be more to follow. Not much to do here around wintertime except write!  
  
Since You've Been Gone...  
  
Summer burst through the front door of her dorm. Marissa and Ryan had gone to the local drugstore to get their film developed from Sutter, while she had opted to unpack. She was also dying to get down to the communications hall to check her exam grades. Mr. Clark had promised to post them on Sunday and it was Tuesday, therefore she had driven herself nearly crazy over the weekend worrying about it - amongst other things in her life.   
  
Seth had been true to his word and stayed behind to get some extra time in for his Lit paper, and Summer had decided to give him the time he had asked for. She knew Seth, and he wasn't one to skip out on their plans to prove a point. He had some serious confliction in that curl covered head of his, and she was hurt, but she understood. She would always understand him. She had a lot of time to mull things over in her heart, and although she couldn't place where, she knew she needed Seth. As more than her best friend, or the guy she spent dateless Friday nights watching Blockbuster movies with. She needed him like she had needed him sophomore year, when he chose Anna over her. And she missed him now like she had missed him then.  
  
Tossing her bag and purse onto her bed, she made sure her cell phone was in her pocket and locked the door behind her, heading towards the communications building. It would be about a half of a mile walk, but the air was warm and Summer needed the time to clear her head. She waved at a girl she recognized from her modern American poetry course and stole a glance to the highest palm tree next to the art department. It was were she and Seth usually sat when the weather was extremely nice, or they had a few minutes in between classes. There was a young couple there now, probably freshmen, and they were sprawled out on the lawn together, her head in his lap as he read from a textbook and played softly with her golden locks. Normally, Summer would find it half revolting, but she let a small smile slip from between her lips and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jean jacket as she trudged on. In all honesty, she could wait to find out her exam grades, it was more the idea of looking for him that intrigued her out of her dorm room. He was never inside on Tuesdays, seeing as he only had one class and had the entire night to study, and with it being break, she was sure he was at the beach, or reading on the front lawn of the pub.  
  
Walking through the glass doors of the communications building, Summer made her way to her classroom and stopped just outside where the reality of bright yellow grade sheets tacked to the door made her stomach turn. Not that she had anything to worry about; she was actually doing really well this semester. She and Seth had been studying every week and without the need for any true social life, she had brought her GPA up substantially since her freshmen year. Summer skimmed down the nearest page and found her student ID number. Ninety-four percent.   
  
"Oh my god. Oh my GOD!" Summer squealed and clasped her hands together, leaning in closer and double-checking just to see that her eyes weren't deceiving her.  
  
"That bad, huh?"  
  
She startled slightly and turned her head. "…Seth."  
  
He grinned crookedly at her as she bobbed up and down excitedly. "Ninety-four! Can you believe that?"  
  
He chuckled and pulled her into his chest, smiling as she sighed contentedly. "Yeah, I can. You worked your ass off this semester, Sum. Plus, I came on Sunday and checked."  
  
She pulled away and smacked his chest lightly, "Why didn't you call me? It was driving me insane!"  
  
He shrugged and pulled her to him again; missing the warmth she had brought back to his heart after a long, lonely weekend. "I wanted you to miss me." They were quiet for a while, holding each other in the desolate, gray tiled hall. "I'm proud of you."  
  
For as many times as he had ever told her that, she still felt her heart swell when those words hit her ears. No one had ever been proud of her. Not until Seth. Sure, Marissa supported her, but really, she couldn't remember hearing those words come out of her mouth. Seth remembered to tell her all the time, though, and she gripped him tighter to her, circling her arms around his neck.  
  
"For the record, I missed you."  
  
He nodded softly and pulled away to look into her eyes. His stomach was floating and he realized how much he truly had missed her in those four short days. He had almost put himself farther behind in his work because he had spent each day wondering if she was okay. Had he hurt her? Did she think he had actually rejected her? Would she meet someone there? Were Ryan and Marissa including her or was she by herself, lonely, depressed… missing him? Nah… he just excused that thought as momentary cockiness. But really, he felt empty while she was away. He couldn't stand to do the things he normally did or go to the places he normally went to because they were tainted with all things Summer. His days weren't worthwhile when he didn't have her there to laugh at him, or smile.   
  
Now though, her smile was so wide it really did seem to stretch from ear to ear. He slid his arms down her back and grabbed her hand, pulling her out into the sunlight again. "I am pretty damn missable."  
  
She laughed and pulled away, crossing her arms over her chest. They set off walking together, following their normal path. Seth slid his hands into his pockets and sighed loudly. "I'm really sorry about ditching you. Things were just crazy, and I had to take some time out to get everything straight, you know? I felt like I was getting lost in, just… us. Everything is always so complicated."  
  
She nodded, squinting slightly from the bright sun that was shining through the breaks in the trees that stretched tall beside them. They walked in silence, enjoying each others company and the heat that the sun provided. Some days Summer wondered what she was thinking, imagining life at high school was so great. College by far exceeded her greatest dreams. No more hierarchy of wealth, or being ashamed of who you hung out with. College kids were different. You hung out with who you liked, and that was cool. You did what you had to to get by and that was that. No parents or teachers, or deans for the matter, breathing down your throat every morning. You could pave your way through the entire system and come out knowing what you had been questioning in the beginning, and not a whole lot of nothing. High school was just a formality - some emotionally straining test on your ability to fit in. And Summer had a love hate relationship with it. She loved it because it had made her strong willed and self assured, but she hated it because it tore her down. There were moments like these, where she felt so small and unsure of life that she wished she had a mother to cry to. But she didn't. She had Seth. He was the one to hold her up, and occasionally, he even pushed her down. He had pushed her down this past month. She had given into her feelings and let herself love him again and he rejected her, and now he thought he could just hug her and make her smile and forget that any of it ever happened. For a second, she convinced herself that she was mad.   
  
"I wouldn't have slept with you if I didn't think that things could work out between us, Seth."  
  
He smiled at her as the reached the door to her dorm. He hadn't known how they had ended up there… but he was relieved nonetheless. "I know that. I just wasn't sure they could. Work out."  
  
He could read the hurt in her eyes and he regretted his word immediately. She nodded slowly, and his heart broke into pieces as they glazed over with tears. He hated knowing that he hurt her, and he hated seeing her cry. He knew she had taken it the wrong way - thinking he had just admitted he slept with her knowing that he wasn't sure he wanted to actually be with her. "Summer, come on. You know what I mean!"  
  
She huffed loudly and shook her head in disgust. "No Seth, I don't! I mean, you spend time with me, and you smile at me like I'm this… prize you just won, and you kiss me and hold me and make love to me in a cabin in the snow… I'm a bit confused on where that leaves me, because apparently I'm nothing more to you than some little childhood friend that you can sleep with when there's no one else around. Like, I don't know, a house in the mountains with our two best friends?!"   
  
He followed her as she ranted, closing the door behind them and taking a seat on the end of her bed. She looked at him with the most pained expression and he felt his stomach jump to his throat. "You know it's not like that, Summer. How can you even look me in the eye and say that?"  
  
"Because I'm mad." Her voice was small and had the despondent attitude of an indignant ten year old.   
  
He reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her to stand at the foot of the bed in front of him. Looking up at her, he sighed, "God, Summer. I would never treat you like that. I treasure you, and if you can't see that, then apparently I'm horrible at showing what I feel, because you are the most important thing to me… I can't even imagine… I just…."  
  
She uncrossed her arms at his words and moved her hands to cup the side of his face gently, urging him to continue. His mouth was moving, but there were no words coming from his lips. The things he wanted to say were jumbled and he couldn't decide on how to express any feelings he was having, so he decided to show her instead. Pulling her down onto his lap, he lightly pushed a few strands of hair behind her ears and smiled at her. She rubbed her palms up and down his arms and cocked her head towards him skeptically. "You just…?"  
  
He reached under her chin and smoothed the pads of his thumbs over her cheeks, ignoring her. "You're gorgeous, and you get me, you know when to prod and when to let it go. You listen to my music even though I know you hate it; you make me dizzy, Summer. I'll never, ever, feel this way about any woman. I promise you."  
  
Her eyes were still glazed, but when tears sprung, it was for a completely different reason. "Cohen…" She had the feeling where she was falling, down and down, but she was completely safe with his arms around her and his gaze locked on hers.   
  
"I never stopped loving you. While everything changed, and everyone told me you weren't right for me, I never let go. Ever."  
  
Summer let out a quick breath and smiled, wiping a tear away from her cheek. "You are so… unbelievably corny."  
  
Seth laughed and shook his head in disbelief. When she stuck her tongue out at him quickly, he took advantage of her playfulness and leaned forward, taking her lips into his. They both sighed, amazed at how perfect it felt to be together. Summer leaned forward, pushing his back until they hit the bed, his arms wrapping around her tightly. Their bodies crushed together and Seth couldn't help but grin against her lips. She leaned in a kissed his smile briefly before pulling back again. "So does this mean you missed Sutter for nothing?"  
  
He rolled his eyes and smoothed his hands up her hips. "That's not relevant, Summer. I definitely think you should focus on the task at hand, here."  
  
She widened her eyes, mocking his seriousness. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Cohen. I'll pay more attention to my directions, next time."  
  
Seth nodded, pleased. "Good. Now come on, I've missed you these last couple weeks…"  
  
Summer grinned at him and slowly began to unbutton his tan shirt. "Well you're the one who ditched me, sweetheart."  
  
Seth pursed his lips in compliance. "True. I got an A on that Lit paper, though."  
  
"Schoolwork is not appropriate for pillow talk, Cohen."  
  
"Right. Shutting up."  
  
---  
  
So yes. That was fun while it lasted. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you thought. 


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